ter, Your affectionate mother, Ever yours, Ever your friend, Faithfully yours, Yours very sincerely, etc. Official letters usually close in a more formal manner. (See models.) MODEL 1. I have the honor to be, Sir, With much respect, Your obedient serv MODEL 2. BB I have the honor to be (or remain) These forms are, however, frequently abbreviated to "Yours respectfully," "Very respectfully," and even "Respectfully." Note. The salutation and the complimentary close should correspond. Thus, if the salutation is "My friend," or "My dear friend," it would be absurd to close with so formal a term as "Respectfully" or "Very respectfully." It would be better to end with some term corresponding with "Dear friend," as "Your friend,” or something else equally familiar. Never close a letter with the form " Yours, etc." In closing a letter begin each line of the complimentary close with a capital letter, but do not begin the other words of the line with capitals. Thus, write Yours very truly, Your sincere friend-not Yours Very Truly, or Your Sincere Friend. The Signature. The signature consists of the name of the person who writes the letter. It should be placed to the right-hand side, at the bottom of the letter, immediately following the complimentary close. MODEL. Yours very respectfully, In letters of importance the writer's name should be signed in full. A letter which by accident or otherwise goes astray or fails to reach its destination is sent to the Dead-Letter Office, where it is opened. If it contain the writer's name and address, it is then returned to him. The signature should be plainly written. The writer should remember that while he or his friends may be able to recognize his signature, however poorly written, he has no right to puzzle others with illegible writing. In writing to a stranger a lady should sign her name with her title prefixed. Thus: Mors. Anna B. Miles. Meiss Mary E. Perkins. The latter form may be written as follows, if preferred: (Meiss) Mary E. Perkins. Caution. The title should be prefixed only in writing to a stranger or to an inferior. A married lady should use her husband's name and initials; thus: Mrs. Thomas H. Sylvester. A widow should use her own name and initials; thus: Mrs. Annie L. Sylvester. EXERCISE. Write the following conclusions, punctuating and putting each in proper form: 1. Yours very truly C. H. Maxwell. 2. Very respectfully yours J H Jones. 3. Very respectfully S M Hart Supt of Schools. 4. Sincerely your friend Mary E. Robinson. 5. I am Sir very sincerely yours Martin Henderson. 6. Your obedient servant Hamilton Fish. 7. We remain gentlemen yours very respectfully Smith Jones & Robinson. 8. I have the honor dear sir to be your most obedient servant Henry B. Stewart Collector of the Port. GENERAL EXERCISE. Put the following in correct form: 1. Heading.-Jan 6 173 Calvert St Baltimore Md. Introduction.-Messrs Jones & Thomas, 1360 Market St Phila Gentlemen Conclusion.-Very respectfully Harris A. Simmons. 2. Heading.-University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Nov. 16 1886. Introduction.-Rev Dr Morris 2563 Spruce St Phila. My dear Friend Conclusion.-I am very sincerely your friend Henry B Peter son. THE SUPERSCRIPTION. The Superscription is the outside address placed on the envelope. It consists of the name of the person to whom the letter is written, together with his proper titles and his post-office address. Great care should be taken to make this address clear, that letters may not be miscarried or lost. Several millions of letters are sent to the Dead-Letter Office at Washington every year, a large number of which, it is said, are poorly or improperly directed. The proper address gives the title, the name, the postoffice, the county, and the state. All the words in the address except prepositions and articles should begin with capital letters. A comma separates the parts of the address. Prof. Wm. P. Guncan, LL.B., Thiladelphia, Pa. Some writers claim that in writing to such cities as New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, etc., there is no necessity for indicating the State. The fact that there are five New Yorks, nine Philadelphias, and twelve Bostons in the United States shows that there is necessity for indicating the State in every case. |